Comments for dgoings.com http://dgoings.com The online hub of one Goings, Dylan Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Thank you for bringing that to my attention by Anonymous http://dgoings.com/peru/02-12-2011/thank-you-for-bringing-that-to-my-attention/#comment-196 Anonymous Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=444#comment-196 Hi Will, thanks for the comment. I'm probably due to write an update on this topic, both from a "now that I've been here awhile" viewpoint and maybe also a more helpful "here's how to take a taxi in Peru" slant. But to respond to your point about prices: I think I would be in total agreement with you, especially about the benefits of negotiating a price beforehand, if it weren't for a couple of factors. First, I've experienced multiple taxi rides now where the driver tried or demanded to renegotiate a higher price during the ride because either traffic was really bad or it turned out we were going farther than he expected or whatever. Second, it feels very unfair, both for tourists who get overcharged (and you don't just get slightly overcharged--taxis will gladly quote you twice the going rate or more if they think they can get away with it) and for us expats who get mistaken for tourists. It just doesn't sit right with my sense of justice. An electronic meter may cost you more, but it doesn't care who you are or what you look like. The other side of the coin is that I really love the other public transportation options in Lima (and Peru in general), which can be totally crazy but in an endearing way, and are also way cheaper and much more fair with fares than taxis. So I end up liking taxis even less when I have to take them because I know there's (usually) a more preferable option. Hi Will, thanks for the comment. I’m probably due to write an update on this topic, both from a “now that I’ve been here awhile” viewpoint and maybe also a more helpful “here’s how to take a taxi in Peru” slant.
But to respond to your point about prices: I think I would be in total agreement with you, especially about the benefits of negotiating a price beforehand, if it weren’t for a couple of factors. First, I’ve experienced multiple taxi rides now where the driver tried or demanded to renegotiate a higher price during the ride because either traffic was really bad or it turned out we were going farther than he expected or whatever. Second, it feels very unfair, both for tourists who get overcharged (and you don’t just get slightly overcharged–taxis will gladly quote you twice the going rate or more if they think they can get away with it) and for us expats who get mistaken for tourists. It just doesn’t sit right with my sense of justice. An electronic meter may cost you more, but it doesn’t care who you are or what you look like.

The other side of the coin is that I really love the other public transportation options in Lima (and Peru in general), which can be totally crazy but in an endearing way, and are also way cheaper and much more fair with fares than taxis. So I end up liking taxis even less when I have to take them because I know there’s (usually) a more preferable option.

]]> Comment on Thank you for bringing that to my attention by will http://dgoings.com/peru/02-12-2011/thank-you-for-bringing-that-to-my-attention/#comment-195 will Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:52:00 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=444#comment-195 the incessant honking/stopping/waving of lima cab-drivers did get on my nerves quite a bit at first, though i found that i got used to it.  the same behavior from livery cab drivers in washington heights, manhattan (heavily dominican area) drove me completely insane:  maybe this is because of the fact that if i'd been 40 blocks to the south it would have been normal yellow-cab culture with no honking, etc. that said, i completely prefer the payment system in lima.  i'd much rather know how much i'm going to pay from the get-go, and despite any traffic or other problems.  even though i figured they up-charged me slightly for being an obvious tourist, they are still amazingly cheap, and i had no reluctance in walking away from a cab that quoted me a high price. the incessant honking/stopping/waving of lima cab-drivers did get on my nerves quite a bit at first, though i found that i got used to it.  the same behavior from livery cab drivers in washington heights, manhattan (heavily dominican area) drove me completely insane:  maybe this is because of the fact that if i’d been 40 blocks to the south it would have been normal yellow-cab culture with no honking, etc.

that said, i completely prefer the payment system in lima.  i’d much rather know how much i’m going to pay from the get-go, and despite any traffic or other problems.  even though i figured they up-charged me slightly for being an obvious tourist, they are still amazingly cheap, and i had no reluctance in walking away from a cab that quoted me a high price.

]]> Comment on Photo Hosting by Kbanas http://dgoings.com/tech/07-01-2011/photo-hosting/#comment-194 Kbanas Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:53:00 +0000 http://dgoings.com/?p=741#comment-194 Yeah.  There needs to be a better thing for that.  Flickr is awful.  Awful, awful, awful.  Picasa is..   Picasa.  Maybe the solution is some sort of self-hosted software solution, as you say.  I wish I knew of one.  I definitely let you down.  Sorry. Yeah.  There needs to be a better thing for that.  Flickr is awful.  Awful, awful, awful.  Picasa is..   Picasa.  Maybe the solution is some sort of self-hosted software solution, as you say.  I wish I knew of one.  I definitely let you down.  Sorry.

]]> Comment on I need a printer recommendation, because the Epson Stylus TX420W is a piece of shit by Asasas http://dgoings.com/tech/05-06-2011/i-need-a-printer-recommendation-because-the-epson-stylus-tx420w-is-a-piece-of-shit/#comment-193 Asasas Tue, 17 May 2011 20:52:00 +0000 http://dgoings.com/tech/05-06-2011/i-need-a-printer-recommendation-because-the-epson-stylus-tx420w-is-a-piece-of-shit/#comment-193 What a crap post ! What a crap post !

]]> Comment on Ditching RSS (mostly) for Twitter by dylan http://dgoings.com/tech/02-22-2011/ditching-rss-mostly-for-twitter/#comment-189 dylan Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:18:42 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=467#comment-189 Thanks for the poke! Yes, still alive, and have been meaning to include some updates. I'm actually in the process of moving my blog to a new web address, which is why I've held off on posting, but hopefully I'll get that all sorted out by this weekend. Thanks for the poke! Yes, still alive, and have been meaning to include some updates. I’m actually in the process of moving my blog to a new web address, which is why I’ve held off on posting, but hopefully I’ll get that all sorted out by this weekend.

]]> Comment on Ditching RSS (mostly) for Twitter by Nancy Goings http://dgoings.com/tech/02-22-2011/ditching-rss-mostly-for-twitter/#comment-188 Nancy Goings Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:55:07 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=467#comment-188 Are you guys still alive? No news on Dylan's or Sandra's blog in weeks. I miss you guys, so hop to it and start posting! Love, Aunt Nancy Are you guys still alive? No news on Dylan’s or Sandra’s blog in weeks. I miss you guys, so hop to it and start posting!

Love, Aunt Nancy

]]> Comment on Ditching RSS (mostly) for Twitter by Matt http://dgoings.com/tech/02-22-2011/ditching-rss-mostly-for-twitter/#comment-187 Matt Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:30:12 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=467#comment-187 I also don't subscribe to high-volume rss feeds, instead allowing myself to check one news-site per break; with twitter I use laterstars to flag tweets with links I want to come back to later. I definitely have "dark" periods where I turn twitter off--I find MacOS spaces helps with organizing stuff so I'm not distracted. It's definitely hard :). I also don’t subscribe to high-volume rss feeds, instead allowing myself to check one news-site per break; with twitter I use laterstars to flag tweets with links I want to come back to later. I definitely have “dark” periods where I turn twitter off–I find MacOS spaces helps with organizing stuff so I’m not distracted.

It’s definitely hard :) .

]]> Comment on Living in Lima, Week 1 by Allison O. http://dgoings.com/peru/01-15-2011/living-in-lima-week-1/#comment-137 Allison O. Sun, 16 Jan 2011 06:04:40 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=425#comment-137 Yay for adventures! --> (most of them atrociously calibrated) <-- this made me smile. Nathan always fusses about the TV's calibrated in Target etc. It made me wish that we could all hang out so that you'd get to know him better. Yay for adventures! –> (most of them atrociously calibrated) <– this made me smile. Nathan always fusses about the TV's calibrated in Target etc. It made me wish that we could all hang out so that you'd get to know him better.

]]> Comment on Living in Lima, Week 1 by Marissa http://dgoings.com/peru/01-15-2011/living-in-lima-week-1/#comment-136 Marissa Sun, 16 Jan 2011 03:58:47 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=425#comment-136 I laughed so hard when i read about the cobrador... so true... I laughed so hard when i read about the cobrador… so true…

]]> Comment on Fun security features by dylan http://dgoings.com/tech/09-21-2010/fun-security-features/#comment-135 dylan Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:01:38 +0000 http://www.scythematters.com/?p=405#comment-135 Yahoo, huh? That's impressive. I think I signed up for an account there many many years ago. Yahoo, huh? That’s impressive. I think I signed up for an account there many many years ago.

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